Paul's Last Trip

The Way Home
PAUL’S LAST TRIP TO JERUSALEM

Story 14 - Acts 20:2 to 21:16
After his three years in Ephesus in Asia Minor, Paul sailed across the Aegean Sea to Macedonia. There he again visited the churches in Philippi, Thessalonica, and Berea. Then he went southward into Greece, and visited again the church at Corinth. Remember the two long letters Paul wrote to the church at Corinth? (Judy smiled and nodded yes) While Paul was visiting these churches, he told them about the believers in Christ among the Jews in Jerusalem and Judea; that many of these were very poor, and since they had become disciples of Christ, the other Jews would not help them. Therefore Paul asked the Gentile churches everywhere to send gifts to these poor people. He said in his letters: “These people have sent the word of Christ to you; now send to them your gifts to show that you love them and to show that you thank God for the gift of His Son Who saves you from your sins.”

From each of the churches men were chosen to go with Paul to Jerusalem and to carry these gifts. All these men went on before and waited for Paul at Troas, on the shore of the Aegean Sea. Paul’s friend Luke, the doctor, joined him again at Philippi, and they sailed together to Troas. There the other disciples met them and they stayed for a week.

On the evening of the first day of the week, a farewell meeting for Paul and his party was held at Troas, because the next day they were going to begin their journey to Jerusalem. The meeting was in a large upper room, filled with people who had come to hear Paul. While he was speaking, a young man named Eutychus fell asleep while sitting in an open window. In his sleep he fell out of the window to the ground two stories below and was killed. But Paul placed his arms around him, saying, “Do not weep for him, for his life is still in him.”

Then Paul went up again and broke the bread with the believers and held with them the Lord’s Supper; and then he talked again for a long time, even until the break of day. And they were very happy that the young man who fell out of the window was alive.

All the rest of the party going to Jerusalem, except Paul, went on board the ship at Troas. But Paul journeyed on foot to Assos, and boarded the ship there. From Assos the ship sailed among the islands of the Aegean Sea, stopping at Miletus, not far from Ephesus. On this journey, Paul did not have time for a visit to Ephesus, so he sent for the elders of the church to meet him at Miletus. They came, and Paul said to them: “You know from the first day that I sat foot in this part of Asia, after what manner I was with you all the time, serving the Lord with a lowly mind and with tears and with many troubles which came upon me from the plots of the Jews. You know, too, how faithfully I spoke to you, teaching you in public and from house to house, to turn from your sins and believe in our Lord Jesus Christ.

“And now, bound in my spirit, I am going to Jerusalem, not knowing what shall come upon me there, except that the Holy Spirit tells me in every place that chains and troubles will meet me. But I do not hold my life of any account, as dear to me; so that I may run out my race in Christ, and may do the work given me by the Lord Jesus, to preach the good news of God’s grace. And now, I know that you all, among whom I went preaching the kingdom, shall see my face no more.

“Take heed to yourselves and to all the flock which the Holy Spirit has placed in your care, as shepherds to feed the church, which the Lord Jesus bought with His own blood. I know that after I go away, enemies, like savage wolves, shall come among you, not sparing the flock; and also among yourselves men shall rise up speaking false things and leading away disciples after them. Watch, therefore, and remember that for three years I did not cease warning you, night and day, with tears.

“And now, I leave you with God and with the word of His grace, which is able to build you up and to make you fit to dwell among His holy ones. I have not sought among you gold or silver or fine clothing. You yourselves know that these hands of mine have worked for my own living and to help those who were with me. I have tried to show you by my own life how that you should in the same way help those who are weak, and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’” When Paul had said this, he kneeled down and prayed with them all. And they all wept and fell on Paul’s neck and kissed him; for they felt very sad at his words, especially that they would not see his face anymore. They went with him to the ship and watched as he sailed away.

Paul and his company sailed among the islands, toward the land of Judea and they went ashore again at Tyre. There they found disciples and stayed a week. Some of the disciples at Tyre spoke to Paul in the Spirit of God, and told him not to go into Jerusalem. But Paul, having set his face toward that city, found passage on a ship sailing to Judea. So, before Paul sailed away, all the disciples, including wives and children, went with him out of the city and they knelt down together and prayed. Then Paul’s party sailed away from Tyre. Their next stop was at a place called Ptolemais, and from there they walked down the shore to Caesarea. Do you remember Caesarea? Judy responded, “That is the place where Peter gave the Gospel to Cornelius.” Yes, and it was also at Caesarea that Paul found Philip, the man who had preached to the Samaritans and the nobleman from Ethiopia. In those old days, Paul, who was then called Saul, had been Philip’s enemy and had driven him out of Jerusalem. Now they met as friends, and Paul stayed as a guest at Philip’s house.

While at Caesarea, an old man named Agabus, came down from Jerusalem. He was a prophet, to whom God had shown some things that were to come to pass. He took off Paul’s belt and with it bound Paul’s feet and hands, and then Agabus said: “Thus saith the Spirit of God, ‘So shall the Jews at Jerusalem bind the man that owns this belt and shall give him into the hands of the Gentiles.” When this was heard, all Paul’s friends, including Philip and the disciples of Caesarea, pleaded with Paul and begged him not to go up to Jerusalem. But Paul answered: “What are you doing, weeping and breaking my heart? I am ready not only to be bound, but also to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.”

When they saw that Paul could not be moved from his purpose, they ceased trying to persuade him, saying, “The will of the Lord be done.” After some days in Caesarea, Paul and his friends, including some of the believers from Caesarea, went up to Jerusalem. So once more, and for the last time, Paul was in the city of his people.